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London election - Why the first mayoral hustings with Latinos was a success

words by Ruth Allen
picture: Janio Edwards

South Tottenham’s Mayoral Hustings attracted an excellent panel of politicians and a large audience from Haringey and from across London. The event probed candidates’ views on urban renewal, community participation, social cohesion across ethnic groups and specific issues affecting the Latin American community.

Over 150 people packed the Tottenham British Legion hall for the Hustings which were very well organised jointly by local community group ‘Wards Corner Community Coalition’ (WCC), Seven Sisters Market Traders and Minka Latin American News agency. On the panel were Simon Hughes (President of the Liberal Democrat Party); Joanne McCartney (Haringey and Enfield Greater London Assembly (GLA) Labour Member) who was later replaced by Murad Qureshi (GLA Labour London-wide member); Darren Johnson (GLA Green Party London-wide member and former Mayoral candidate in 2000 and 2004); Lindsey German (Mayoral Candidate for Left List) and Matthew Laban (Conservative GLA candidate for Haringey and Enfield).

All the evening’s events were captured for television by CNN, Minka News and local and national press were there in force for what promised and proved to be a very lively and important debate.

Questions to the panel focused first on Haringey Council-backed redevelopment plans put forward by Grainger plc for the ‘Wards Corner’ site at Seven Sisters tube station. Candidates were asked how would they support the wish of local people to repel the demolition of well loved local buildings and businesses - including the vibrant Latin American flavoured indoor market - and their replacement with high rise private gated flats and commercial space for chain stores.

All the candidates pledged their support for the campaign being waged by the Wards Corner Coalition (WCC) against Grainger’s plans and recognised that people across London and beyond are standing up to big business and to Councils that ignore local wishes and best practice in urban renewal. They also all spoke positively about the importance of ethnic minority businesses and about markets – about how both of these represent the enterprise that drives the economy and the social cohesion of urban life in London.

The meeting then addressed wider issues facing the Latin American community in London. Isaac Bigio from Minka news, having stated the growing size (over 600,000 Spanish and Portuguese speaking) and importance of the community in London, asked the panel to address why achieving British nationality and the right to vote is so difficult for Latin American people. He also asked wider questions about the way migrant communities are treated now – why, for instance, unlike in other countries, there has been no amnesty for those living and working here without full leave to remain? The panel had a variety of views on immigration but the relative invisibility of the Latin American community in public policy was acknowledged. The point was made – the Latin American community is very large, it is growing and needs to be better supported and recognised for its current and potential contribution to the life of multicultural London.